Budgam, Nov 25: The construction of panchayat ghar at Ringzabal Kharian village in tehsil Khansahib of central Kashmir’s Budgam district started sixteen years ago is still incomplete.
The locals from the village expressed resentment against the authorities for not taking the construction work on the panchayat ghar “seriously”.
Ghulam Ahmad Poswal, a local from the Ringzabal village, said the panchayat is an important institution in a village where people discuss local issues with the panchayat body as well as government officials.
“Due to the incomplete work of the panchayat ghar in our village, we are carrying out all the panchayat-related programmes at each other’s houses or at open public places,” Poswal told Rising Kashmir.
Another local Meraj Ahmad Badana said,” The government has provided the panchayat ghar in each village of Budgam district; however, the one in our village is incomplete for the last 16 years.”
He said that only the walls of the panchayat ghar had been completed. “No steps have been taken for its completion,” Badana said, adding, “The condition of the panchayat ghar is worsening with each passing day as the trees have grown inside the premises.”
Meraj said there is an elected panchayat body in the village. “The panches and sarpanches are supposed to discuss the village-related issues and development work in the panchayat ghar. However, due to the incomplete work of the panchayat ghar, the meetings are held in the open field,” he said.
The locals said they have several times requested the concerned department to complete the work on the panchayat ghar but to no avail.
Ringzabal Kharian village, as per the locals, is one of the last villages in the Budgam district. “Ours is a remote area, and we are in more need of this panchayat ghar,” another local said.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Khansahib, Syed Ahmad Kataria, told Rising Kashmir that he will discuss this issue with the Block Development Officer Sukhnag.
